Started t3 on the 29th of march. Built it up to 100mcg a day. Blood was taken on the 10th Apr.
T3 has come below normal..how is that possible?
Below is image attached
Amy help will be nice
T3 for weight loss and blood work is different - Thyroid UK
T3 for weight loss and blood work is different
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T3 is not for weight loss, you should never use T3 for weight loss it will cause long term cardiac damage. You say you are taking a very large dose of T3 but your blood tests are measuring fT4?
SeasideSusieRemembering
Punmanuk
Do you have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism or are you using T3 purely as a weight loss aid?
Your first screenshot is impossible to read even on my large PC monitor.
Your second and third screenshots - is that just one set of results over 2 pictures? It only has results for TSH and FT4 yet you are saying in your post "T3 has come below normal". It doesn't look like you have a FT3 result anywhere.
Why not just type your results into your post, there are only two, then we can see exactly what they say and may be able to help.
in reply to SeasideSusie
Serum tsh level ( xaELV) - below range - 0.09 miu/l (0.35-5.5)
Below low reference limit
Serum free t4 level (Xaelv) -below range- 5.8pmol/l (10.0-20.0) below low reference limit
What ever that means
T3 is a replacement thyroid hormone and is not a weight loss drug. You have not answered the question about whether you have hypothyroidism.
If you take T3 it's essential to test FT3 and you have not had that tested. Taking 100mcg T3 and not testing FT3 is foolish, your FT3 level could be extremely high and that could lead to heart and other health problems.
Your TSH and FT4 are very low because that's what taking T3 does.
in reply to SeasideSusie
Thanks for your reply..I told the gp I need results for t3 as I am taking them and this is what they have tested me for
Did your GP actually request FT3 test and say you were taking T3. If so I'm very surprised the lab didn't test FT3 with such out of range TSH and FT4.
If your GP wont do it then you can do it privately with Medichecks or Blue Horizon.
You say in your thread title that "blood work is different". What are the results that you are comparing it with and were you taking T3 at the same dose with those results?
And you still haven't said if you have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
in reply to SeasideSusie
My gp does not know what he is on about then..
He just looked at it and said your t3 level is low..I was surprised..
I usually taper up and down during bodybuilding shows for last 20 years and my thyroid been ok so far till the doc looked at this results and said it's low..so he must not know what he is doing
As I said, taking T3 will lower TSH and FT4, and taking the amount you are taking will lower them considerably.
Does your GP know why you are taking T3? Is he condoning this?
I am very surprised that he is even testing your thyroid when you don't actually have hypothyroidism - assuming you don't because for some reason you are evading that question.
But it has been pointed out to you, taking such a high dose of T3 for weight loss purposes or body building purposes is irresponsible and you may screw your thyroid up and very likely do yourself a lot of other damage. This forum is for people who have genuine thyroid disorders - underactive, overactive, Hashimoto's, Graves - you might find what you are looking for on a body building forum but nobody here will condone what you are doing.
in reply to SeasideSusie
He knows why I am taking them..just like taking all the steroids..
But I don't think he knows much about t3 as he said it's low from the reading..and as you guys are saying..it was not even tested for t3.
On 150mcg a day at the min and will stay on it till I start tapering down near the contest
It would be easier to make sense of your results if you typed them out. However liothyronine is not a weight loss drug, do you have a thyroid disorder?
in reply to MaisieGray
I have used t3 for many bodybuilding shows and has done wonder's
MaisieGray in reply to
Then you are putting yourself at very grave risk of harm. Even people whose bodies don't make enough or any, endogenous T3, rarely take anywhere near 100 mcgs of exogenous T3 to make up the deficit, and you are taking it on top of what presumably was when you started doing it, a healthy level. The results show that you have severely impacted the production of your endogenous hormone thyroxine aka T4 to a level well below a healthy range; and your TSH has been suppressed - a condition that most Drs would be happy to tell you is injurious to your health. Heaven only knows what your level of T3 is, but because you haven't had it tested, you don't know. You can safely assume though, that it is very high. And that, as has been said, can cause heart damage or stroke. You have artificially created a situation whereby you are hyperthyroid, and people who are diagnosed with that condition because of thyroid dysfunction, are treated with antithyroid medication and beta blockers, such is its seriousness.
I think you meant endogenous - not exogenous. 
He is taking it his body not producing it hence exogenous. That’s correct term.
The sentence I referred to was:
The results show that you have severely impacted the production of your exogenous hormone thyroxine aka T4 to a level well below a healthy range
(Now changed.) Hence my point was valid. We do NOT "produce" exogenous thyroid hormone - we take exogenous thyroid hormone.
Thanks for all your help.. atleast I know now that the correct test was not done, gp does not know a lot about t3 and t3 is working and the weight is dropping off..
Thanks all
Merlio18 in reply to
Hi what is it your wanting to know I think your taking to high a dose of T3 as it's supressing your tsh and T4 is low so you need to reduce your dose and see if the levels rise, due to the fact you have done this a long time for the contests and your thyroid has been working normal over time the use might have deteriorated your thyroid function so it would be wise to get a private T3 test on medichecks or blue horizon so you know what your levels are as alot of labs know when gp request they don't test T3 and it might be if you live in an area were T3 is blacklisted so you need to do your own test.
How long have you been on the dose for for as your tsh is quite low so I wouldn't continue for a longer period of time depends when your contest is as you will send your thyroid into overdrive and it is very likely to damage it more as it looks like from your results your flooding your system with too much T3 and your thyroid can't use it all, I would start reducing your dose to 50 as that is a really large dose for instance I have took T3 on its own and only took 15 mcg which was the same as 75 mcg T4 so 100 is a very high dose and could have a massive impact on your heart and your overall thyroid function like the other person said above. If your getting hyper symptoms you need to reduce to atleast 50 and then 25 as that is still a high dose for someone without a thyroid issue and see what your symptoms are and it will still cause your muscles to become defined for your contest but as you have been doing this for a long time I think your body doesn't need as much of the T3 now so you need to be careful how much you are taking and reduce your dose today because you might cause your thyroid to malfunction completely and you don't want that believe me it is very very debilitating living with a chronic long term thyroid issue that takes over every area of your life when you are still suffering symptoms every day.
Hope you see where people are coming from as it's a serious health issue and you can afford causing anymore harm to yourself where as other people haven't had that opportunity so focus on your health and not so much looking good for the contests as you will still define your muscles on a lower dose it will just not be as quick a result.
NWA6 in reply to
Listen hun, forget whether or not your GP does or doesn’t know their stuff regarding T3. You’re a grown up why don’t YOU know everything you can about the hormone you’re taking?
You can always do private blood tests to look at your FT3 range but for what purpose do you need blood tests? Are you trying to see what would be a safe dose for you? How long do you take it for? How long, how many times a year do you fatten up and then shred down? I wonder if your GP would send you for a heart scan to make sure there isn’t any damage from the steroids and T3?
Look after yourself 🤗
bantam12 in reply to
Are you getting hyperthyroid symptoms on that dose ?! your heart must surely be racing along.
Please stop what you are doing. A lovely girl, a singer, did this many years ago because she wanted to lose weight. She lost her life!
It can be that serious.
in reply to silverfox7
I think I know the person you are on about..she used dnp. It's basically rat poison..people use it for weight loss..she overdose and over heated from the inside..very dangerous drug dnp is..
Is this a wind up post? I take 75-100mcg T3 daily but my thyroid was removed and I'm also thyroid resistant. Do you have long periods off T3 and only take massive doses for competition? I think you have been lucky that you haven't been very ill over 20 years but the steroids could be masking it. You could damage your thyroid to the point it stops working completely. For your own peace of mind get full tests done for your heart and bone density. Get your T3 tested I suspect it will be off the scale then test again when you have been off T3 for a month and see if your thyroid is functioning at all. It's obvious your Dr doesn't understand T3 or thyroid at all or he would be horrified. Long term use of steroids for people with thyroid illness has a knock on effect to adrenal problems where they are unable to function on their own. You are playing Russian roulette with your health. It is well known in the thyroid community that body builders use T3 but we have to use it to stay alive, many who need it are unable to get it on prescription and remain ill. You may end up unable to reverse damage done by T3 use, please reconsider your choices.
Excuse me, why do anybody want to reply to somebody who is misusing medicin in order to perform a certain kind og bodytype? I am aware of the fact that some people do this, but I am actually quite alarmed that this post is allowed here!?
in reply to KristinaCPH
Why do people drink alcohol? Why do people smoke? Why do people drink coffee?
KristinaCPH in reply to
But that is NOT what this is about!
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK
The first image says "patient takes Thyroxine 100 mgs a day which patient gets from his gym".
But you are asking about Liothyonine (T3)? The note says Thyroxine (T4).
The units (milligrams) are surely wrong? Micrograms I think.
Looks like your doctor doesn't understand what you are taking.
in reply to helvella
Exactly, first of all I don't get it from the gym, second I did mention it's t3 and not t4 I am taking I am taking and thirdly I did say 100mcg and she put it down as 100mgs..
More like doc does not know know nothing on this subject..she said my t3 is very low..I was shocked as was on 100mcg at the time..150mcg atm
I just said ok and left the surgery
Laundretta in reply to
I’m interested. How do you feel on such a large dose of t3? Any side effects? Palpitations? Racing heart? Anxiety?
in reply to Laundretta
Not really, I get hot really quick in the gym, hungry all the time..heart rate is higher but nothing to worry about..and the weight is dropping
Why do you as an admin. allow this?
Allow what?
Are we not here to try to help people with thyroid issues?
This poster is not recommending what they are doing to others. There have been replies expressing deep concern. (And I am very concerned.)
Would it be better to have deleted the original post? Or restricted the poster? Or turned off replies after a few responses?
Does a person have thyroid issues just because they want to be a bodybuilder and loose weight? 100 mcg of lio/T3, that is very dangerous.
But I am sorry if I am wrong here....
I'm with you on this, he is not promoting his lifestyle, even if we disagree. However I am interested that someone with a thyroid can take massive doses of a hormone that my consultant like to scare the bejeebas out of me as I take it and yet he appears to suffer no physical damage. We have long wondered about the scare stories regarding T3 as my ecg's dexa scans etc are all good and I have no symptoms of too much T3 on a high dose. Long term none of us know the damage but for me being able to function with some energy far out weighs the unknown. All drugs carry risks and side effects.
in reply to helvella
I showed the doc the box which says tiromel 25mcg tabs
L-Tiioddturning sodium .
But the doc still did wrong test for t4 and but dosage wrong as well
endomad in reply to
I have no thyroid and have had to navigate myself through getting well because Dr's are so useless. In the uk they do 3-4 hours training on thyroid so they know less than nothing because what they learn is mostly drug company sponsored rubbish. I would make sure your Dr corrects it to T3 on your notes just in case, should any problems arise further down the line, I would hang the Dr out to dry for not alerting you to the dangers. I see a consultant every 3 months to get my prescription and I get warnings chapter and verse every time. Some people have to sign a waiver to say they accept the danger for quality of life. You know your body and have obviously been doing this for years but as we get older the body is less able to process stuff, T3 can also affect liver function, you prob already know all this stuff. I am not medically trained and in no position to criticise as it is common practice in body building but please do due diligence and get proper tests.
in reply to endomad
My liver value came out fine..also another thing my doctor does not know about is testosterone..normal level of testosterone is 8-32.
Mine is 52 plus.
Nhs range goes only up to 52. So technically mine could have been over 200 etc..
My doc did not know nothing about it..
endomad in reply to
Now that is interesting as a lady of certain age I am estrogen dominant and estrogen competes for thyroid receptors which shows up in me as a low SHBG test (sex hormone binding gobulin), I wonder if your high testosterone competes for the receptors and therefore you are not absorbing it all. It is a huge and varied subject and most of us only know the small part that is relevant for ourselves. My liver enzymes have recently come back elevated after 3 years on t3. TBH the drs dont know any of the variants outside 'oh your hypo heres some t4' i did not fit that model and it has been a nightmare till i finally found a consultant who at least knows part of it.
in reply to endomad
My test level is high because I inject 1g of test a week..nothing to do with my thyroid..
But what I am trying to bring across is that my gp does not know a lot about testorone either
endomad in reply to
It is sad but true they seem to know very little outside of ticking a few boxs, proclaiming people depressed and think thats good enough!! This support group is crammed to the teeth with people who have been badly let down by NHS and lost years of their lives to poor health for no reason. I was nearly in a coma without a thyroid before a 2nd opinion showed the true gravity of what i was facing, now happily behind me but my lesson was to question everything, research and find answers as the drs and i include many so called specialists in that, know so little its scary. I am an engineer by trade and would have been struck off my governing body if i was as useless as most drs seem to be and they are not even embarrassed to know less than their patients.
bantam12 in reply to
So change GP, everybody here already knows Drs struggle to understand thyroid issues.
Sorry, I do not have any respect for people that use dangerous methods to obtain a certain bodytype. Well... I can tell you this much - in my country a doctor would never advise you to take tiromel or any T3 medications if you do not have a thyroid condition...
Well well... maybe this site is not what I thought it was - my bad!
in reply to KristinaCPH
And maybe, you need to go all the way to the top and read all the comments..
No doc has prescribed me this..
Honey, you are not helping at all with your comment. If you don’t agree with the topic, just move on. We are here to help each other no matter what. The topic is not negative and still talks about thyroid and medication. Other people could be going through the same situation and this post might help them as well. This can’t be ignored. Advices are always welcome!
Your TSH is what is low. What kind of doctor is this that doesn’t know what TSH is??
Please, please reduce your dose. 100mcg is insanely high, equivalent to 350-400mcg of T4. What you are doing is off-label use of T3/Cytomel and is illegal in the U.S. This practice only makes it harder for those of us who legitimately need T3 to obtain it. Legitimate thyroid doctors hear stories like this and then withhold it from everyone, even those who who have a demonstrated need for it to live, when they think there could be abuse like this. I would be in a nursing facility or dead without it. Please help us by finding a better way to manage your training weight.
I think people on here, in the main, are a caring bunch, Punmanuk, and they are advising you well because they are concerned for you and your health - be blessed.
in reply to 1piglet
I completely agree , the only reason I posted here was because I was tested for the wrong thing and the doc said my thyroid level was very low..which is wrong that the doc does not know a lot and people have corrected me here saying wrong tests were done and in fact my t3 levels are very high..
And you are not so special that you can be rude to people on this site.
The vast majority of the people on this site are here because GP are pathetically lacking in their knowledge of THYROID DESEASE and they are dependant on the knowledgeable folk here who give valuable guidance.
The majority of the people suffering from THYROID DESEASE are unable to get T3 from their GPs or get adequate blood tests from their GPs. You appear to be abusing your body by taking a powerful medication in large quantities and demanding that other people (ie GP and knowledgeable people on this site) cover for your ignorance. You are arrogant.....or maybe it's the steroids speaking for you.
Either way, be polite, be humble about your own lack of knowledge, be thankful that people here are prepared to advise you, understand that some people are upset because they are genuinely in need of T3 and can't access it and finally, take responsibility for your own health and pay for some private blood tests to assess the damage that you are doing to yourself.
in reply to maggi999
When did I say I was special?
maggi999 in reply to
I repeat "Either way, be polite, be humble about your own lack of knowledge, be thankful that people here are prepared to advise you, understand that some people are upset because they are genuinely in need of T3 and can't access it and finally, take responsibility for your own health and pay for some private blood tests to assess the damage that you are doing to yourself."
You clearly don't understand what is going on here. Many people have to buy T3 from abroad because doctors here in UK will not or cannot prescribe it. therefore sick and suffering thyroid patients HAVE to obtain it elsewhere. My issue with you is your rudeness and arrogance so calm your steroid head down and be polite - simple!
Ref one point where I was rude or arrogant..
The difference here is people are buying T3 because they have a thyroid condition and desperately need it, not because they are into bodybuilding.
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK
As this thread has resulted in unacceptable rudeness, I have deleted a significant number of responses and have closed the thread to responses.
If you consider someone is breaking guidelines in their response(s), please just report the response(s) that you consider to be unacceptable. When we (admins) see the report(s) we will act. Please do not both report AND continue a disagreement on the thread.
I am less than happy that some of the important issues that arose will not now be discussed - things like interactions of steroids/testosterone and thyroid hormone. That could have been both interesting and, possibly, of help.
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